Image your favourite knit sweater – super cozy and fits just right. Every once in a while little fluffy pills develop but you can just use a lint roller or scissors to keep things clean. 

What would happen if the sweater got a snag and stretched out a bit? You can’t put the snag back in place and because the fibres are loose you are more likely to get another snag. Creating a vicious circle that leads to a very misshapen sweater. 

This is similar to Bronchiectasis where the cilia (the cleaners) in the lungs get damaged and aren’t able to clear mucus out of the lungs. Your airways also widen, which creates more spaces for infections to develop which leads to further damage to the lungs. Symptoms include chronic cough, coughing up mucus, shortness of breath and more that can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life. At the moment there is no cure for bronchitis but there are effective treatment options. To learn more about the diagnosis check out this article by the Lung Association.  

Bronchiectasis showing the widening of the airways

The team at Inspiration Research Limited is excited to be involved in research to help improve treatment options for people living with Bronchiectasis. The current treatment options are antibiotics for infections but work is being done to use Brensocatib an oral reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 1. 

With the help of 256 patient volunteers, a recent 24-week phase 2 trial saw an improvement in clinical outcomes with Brensocatib. Studies like this help to make changes to how Bronchiectasis is treated in the community. Full results here.  

We are currently partnering on the ASPEN study, this is a 52-week phase 3 trial study that will look at the impact of Brensocatib in a large group of patients. This study includes 1620 participants and is anticipated to be completed in 2024. Stay tuned with Inspiration Research Limited to stay updated on results and opportunities to participate in future study participation.